'The Who and The What,' La Jolla Playhouse

On Wednesday, the Playhouse officially opens this world-premiere work by Ayad Akhtar, winner of the Pulitzer Prize last year for his debut play "Disgraced." The new piece got its start last year in the Playhouse's DNA New Work Series. Speaking of which ...

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Playhouse DNA Series

The second edition of the theater's exploration of fresh drama began earlier this week with Martin Zimmerman's "Let Me Count the Ways," directed by Playhouse artistic chief Christopher Ashley (above). Five more readings are still to come, plus a workshop presentation of "Blueprints to Freedom: An Ode to Bayard Rustin." (Look for a full story here and in Night&Day on Thursday.) Through March 2.

/ Aaron RumleyShare

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'School for Lies,' North Coast Rep

A lineup of top San Diego talent joins the cast of this local premiere; the play is David Ives' rethinking of Moliere's "The Misanthrope," with updated language but (by the looks of things) plenty of period wigs, frills and rampant foppery. (And yes, that IS a word.)

/ Ken JacquesShare

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'Blithe Spirit,' Moonlight Stage Productions

Moonlight is reviving Noel Coward's comic ghost story from 1941 about a writer who decides to host a seance - and winds up being haunted by the pesky spirit of his former wife. Local lights Dagmar Krause Fields and Jacque Wilke are among the stars of director Eric Bishop's production, which opens Thursday.

/ Daren ScottShare

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'Detroit,' San Diego Rep

Finally: The Rep stages the local premiere of Lisa D'Amour's OBIE Award-winning, comedy-laced piece about two couples struggling (for different reasons) in suburbia. Rep artistic chief Sam Woodhouse's cast includes Jeffrey Jones, Summer Spiro, Lisel Gorell-Getz and Steve Gunderson (left to right above). Look for a preview in this Sunday's Arts section.